The Finality of Babylon

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SERIES DESCRIPTION: In this final message of our Not From Here series, Pastor Shawn unpacks parts of Daniel 12, a powerful prophetic chapter that reveals what happens in the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation. We explore how this connects to key New Testament passages like 1 Thessalonians 4 and Zechariah 14, revealing the destiny of Israel, the Church, and the Tribulation Saints.

Altar Instructions: Please come up when I begin the sub point “There will be Suffering”

Series | Not From Here

Pre-Message Welcome

Grace Place family! It’s awesome to have you here with us today, whether in person or online.

I’m Shawn, and along with my wife, we serve as the Co-Pastors of this incredible church.

At The Grace Place, our mission is clear: we are Caring People, Caring for People.

We pray that you experience God’s care in our time together and in your life.

Spanish Welcome - 2nd Service ONLY!

A nuestra familia de habla hispana .... Bienvenidos…

To our Spanish speaking family... welcome…

Before we get into the message today….

Pastor Plug: Summer Fest

Summer Fest Begins next week.

Our series will be: Summer In The Psalms

There will only be ONE service during the month of July… at 10am

Next week’s theme…Drum roll… Red, White and Blue - appropriate for 4th of July weekend.

Transition: Well we’re in the final message of our 12 week series…. we are calling…

Series | Not From Here

This is a series has about the man Daniel, the faithful exile.

Daniel was taken as a slave into a foreign land - to live amoung other gods and a culture he did not agree with - and that we’re anti-God.

As a believer, you may look at the world around you and feel much like him. Wondering how you can live for God in a culture that does not widely accept His values and standards of right and wrong… good and evil.

In the last couple weeks we have introduced the Tribulation period, talked extensively about the antichrist and the final and 4th Beast of Daniel 7.

We noticed that Gods message to Israel is that she will suffer for her disobedience-this was her choice, she chose NOT to serve God and live within his covenant blessings, she chose another way and other gods and suffered for it.

But there is hope for Israel, God has not forgotten about his promise to rescue her. Which brings us to Dan. chapter 12. As it sums up the final 3 1/2-years of the tribulation.

But what about the Church, is there hope for anyone during the 7 year tribulation period / the time of suffering… before the END when Christ returns?

Daniel does NOT specifically Mention the rapture of the church but its later revealed in the New Testement - so for that reason we will jump into other NT passages today.

Remember - there are a few views regarding the Church and end-time events.

At our church, we hold to a premillennial view and teach a pre-tribulation rapture. Remember— this isn’t a salvation issue, but it’s simply important to understand what and why you believe.

Today we are going to be looking at two short passages of scripture today - you can open your bibles to… Daniel 12 and 1 Thess 4 ESV… to answer these big questions… let’s read it together

Text: 1 Thess. 4:16-18 and Daniel 12:1-7

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord IN THE AIR, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

The Time of the End

English Standard Version Chapter 12

The Time of the End

***Feel free to encourage people to listen to the Holy Spirit speak to them personally as the message is preached

LETS PRAY

Transition: the title of our message today is...

Sermon Title | The Finality of Babylon

Introduction

As many of you know we have been using Babylon as a representation of human Kingdoms.

Will the media team Slide 4 w/

In previous messages in our series we saw how scripture tells us that…

These man-made Kingdoms would come to an end - as Christ returns to set the world right.

Before this happens… there will be a 7-year time of trouble or tribulation will mark the finality of Human Kingdoms as we know them.

I want to address 2 big questions today that many ask regarding the END- but is not directly answered in Daniel.

They are…

Where is the Church during the Tribulation period?

Yea… where is the church during Gods time of wrath upon the earth during this 7 year tribulation?

Everyone wants to know will the church suffer during this time?

and…

Is there any Hope of salvation for those who do not follow God?

What about my friends/loved one’s who don’t know Jesus, what about the lost…is there any hope for them?

The first thing I want to talk about IN YOUR NOTES is…

The Church. 1 Thess. 5:9

Where is the Church during the tribulation?

You’ll notice the Old Testament prophets don’t address the Church’s presence in the Tribulation. Most scholars agree God didn’t reveal the Church Age to them—it was a mystery they couldn’t see. This is why we don’t see Profits like Daniel or others address the church in the end of the age.

So because of this… we must look to the New Testament to answer this question.

Where is the Church during the Tribulation…

First, I want you to notice… IN YOUR NOTES

Where the Church it is NOT (1 Thess. 5:9, Isa. 53:5-6, Matt. 26:39)

Let’s look at 1 Thess. 5:9 together on the screen…

Paul writes the the church in Thessalonica and reminds them…

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God has not destined us(The Church) for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

This doesn’t mean believers won’t suffer in this life—we will. But this isn’t about everyday hardship and suffering; becuase scripture does NOT promise us that - if fact it promises a measure of suffering.

But the context of what Paul it’s talking about here is regarding God’s final wrath at the end during the Tribulation period.

Notice the Church is NOT appointed to wrath

Friends, if you’re part of the Church—saved and made righteous in Christ—you are not appointed to the time of Gods wrath.

So, where will the Church be during the Tribulation period, the time of Gods wrath?

Becuase we know it’s NOT in God’s nature to lie… and if he say’s his wrath was pourd out on his Son rather than us we can know this…

We will NOT be here during the 7-year Tribulation period.

Christ took on the wrath of God for us - we will NOT experiance the wrath of God in the end. We also see this in 1 Thess. 5:9

Friends, we know… it’s not in the nature of God to Lie.

For believers in Jesus… the bible is explicit about the judgements and wrath of God for our sin was pour out on Christ at the cross. We see this in passages like Isa. 53:5-6, 2 Matt. 26:39

Both verses show that Jesus was punished for our sin and took the wrath of God that we deserved upon Himself. In doing so, He cleared our record before God and gave us His righteousness. Because of this, we can now stand forgiven, free, and fully accepted by God. We are NOT appointed to a time of wrath.

Where is the Church during the Tribulation…

Well we notice where its NOT… it’s not receiving the wrath of God during the Tribulation.

Next, I want you to notice… IN YOUR NOTES

Where the Church IS (1 Thess. 4:16-17, Zach. 14:4-5, Matt: 24:36-51)

The word of God gives us a window into where the church will be during this time.

If she is not appointed to wrath… then where will she be?

Scripture describes… Jesus will come and rescue his Church - from the wrath of God and bring the church to himself.

Will the Media Team Put the 5th Slide on the Screen

***Clay add a box to our final drawing with the Rapture at the beginning of 7 year trib & 2nd Coming and Armageddon at end of Trib. (Please put 1 Thess. 4:16-18 on the screen with Slide

We see this in passages like 1 Thess, 4:16-18… lets look Paul as he encourage the Thessalonians Church as they are discussing the end of time… it together on the Screen…

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord IN THE AIR, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Church will Be Raptured or rescued from this time… this word rapture is NOT in the bible rather the phrase we see here is… “caught up” - the greek word is the word “snatchign away” which is a great way to say, God will snatch us from his final appointed time of wrath upon the earth.

Some say this happens at the 2nd coming of Christ, NOT before the tribulation… but I want you to notice there there is a distinction between what happens here and what will happen at the 2nd Coming of Christ at the End of the Tribulation Period.

We see this in passages like Zec 14:4 we see the Prophacy of Christ’s 2nd coming when he conquers the last Kingdom of Man…

Zechariah 14:4–5 “On that day(2nd Coming) his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones(Speaking of the resurrected Saints) with him.”

What can we know about the 2nd coming from this passage?

His coming will be…

Visible to the World

In His coming…

His feet will touch the earth…

In His coming…

His Saints will return with him from the air

Will the Media Team Put the 5th Slide on the Screen

***Clay add a box to our final drawing with the Rapture at the beginning of 7 year trib & 2nd Coming and Armageddon at end of Trib. (Please put 1 Thess. 4:16-18 on the screen with Slide

Here are a few helpful things we notice in Scripture to help us understand the difference between the Rapture and 2nd Coming of Scripture

Gesture towards the graph…

Rapture vs 2nd coming

At the rapture Jesus comes FOR his church/Bride

To Claims Her

At the 2nd Coming Jesus come WITH his Church/Bride

To Conquer the world with her

At the rapture Jesus comes FROM heaven into the air/atmosphere and we meet him in the air

At the 2nd Coming Jesus comes through the air all the way to the earth.

At the rapture Jesus claims his Bride

At the 2nd Coming Jesus comes with his Bride

At the rapture the focus is Jesus and the Church

At the 2nd Coming the focus is Israel and the Kingdom

Israel’s -and those saved in the Tribulation Period will experiance a Final Rescue)

The Rapture will be Sudden - unpredictable and signless (In the twinkling of an Eye)

The Second Coming is predictable, its after 7 years.

We have a biblical timeline here.

THere will be a darkend

At the rapture only Believers will see Him

At the 2nd Coming EVERY eye will see him.

For as lightening shines from the east and the west

Transition: We’re talking about The…

Sermon Title | The Finality of Babylon

So far we have answer’ed one BIG quesiton…

They are…

Where is the Church during the Tribulation period?

We noticed that they will already be with Christ in Heaven during the Tribulation Period.

and…

Is there any Hope of salvation for those who do not follow God?

What about my friends/loved one’s who don’t know Jesus, what about the lost…is there any hope for them?

Will the Media Team Put the 5th Slide on the Screen

***Shawn Give Clay new Drawing with (Rapture) 2nd Comming and Aragedon

To answer these questions… lets talk talk about IN YOUR NOTES is…

The TRIBULATION-SAINTS.

As we look at scripture we will notice there are Tribulation Saints.

If your taking notes… this tells us… IN YOUR NOTES…

There will be SALVATION Dan. 12:1b, Rev. 3:5

We see this in Dan. 12 v.1a of our text… But at that time(At the end of the 7-year Tribulation period) your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

Yea during the Tribulation period people will be saved - we know this because he is addressing those during the 7 year tribulation that have their name written in the Book. (If the Church has been raptured, and saints appear during the tribulation periods… we know the Gospel was preached to them by those who KNEW About Christ

Many Scholars point to Rev. 3:5 to help us understand what this book is… we see it here as… the Lambs book of Life.

The book that contains the names of those who are saved and received Jesus invitation to be the Lord and Savior of their Life.

At the End of the Tribulation periods… Michael the great arch angel comes to deliver or bring salvation to Israel and everyone who’s name is written in the Lambs book of life.

They will be delivered after the final Furry of the Anti Christ and ultimately Gods final judgement over sin.

As much as there will be Salvation for the Tribulation Saint… there will also be Great SUFFERING.

There will be SUFFERING Dan 12:7b, Rev.13:15

We see this Towards the end of this Vision in Dan:12:7b it describes how powerless the Tribulation Saints will be during this time…. it say’s..

English Standard Version Chapter 12

when the

The Saints who are saved (Jew and Gentile) will be powerless in the end of the Tribulation.

In fact their freedoms will be striped… they will have NO rights… not even the right to live.

Scripture Describes this in Rev. 13… that the Anti-Christ will be empowers by Satan Himself

Rev. 13 beginning at v.11 describes this in a much more graphic way…

Revelation 13:15 “And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast TO BE SLAIN”

One thing is clear… here - there will be mass martyrdom of believers during this time.

Friends this will NOT be a time you want to be saved in.

This is why Scripture says TODAY is the Day of Salvation.

Why all of this suffering in this way…

Now… I am NO one to read into the MOTIVES of God… but here is MY OPINION..

Remember why there is this period of suffering in the First Place.. becuase God gave Israel opportunity after oportunity to know him in the most graceful of ways… His plan was to always rid the world of Sin.

In Gen. 12:3 God told Abraham… the Founding Father of Israel that through him…all the Nations of the World would BE BLESSED.

Not just Israel but all the Nations.

This was the great commission for her.

She refused and broke the Covenant with God.

So in my opinion… as I look at scripture… God went to extreme measures to bring Israel and the world back to himself.

So he came to the world and Jesus through the Church brought blessing to the Nations through Christ.

The world is intended to be blessed through Israel and she failed.

But God still has a plan for Israel and everyone who ignored the Good News…

Hosea 5:15 I will return again to my place(To Jerusalem , until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress (great tribulation)earnestly seek me.”

God will give them a 2nd Chance during the Tribulation..

It’s his Grace to show up again…

As the heat is turned up - its NOT SIMPLY to Punish Israel… but that She would turn and see how Good He is..

Kids often think life is better outside the home and rules of the family…

Until they walk away and realize

No one loves like family

No one Protects, Provides,

CLOSING SCRIPTURE:

This is how Jesus talked about end of Time when he returns at his 2nd coming in

Matt. 25:31,

It describes that… He will separate the sheep and the goats (Believers and non-believers)

Skiping down to v.41…

English Standard Version Chapter 25

v. 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’

Skiping down to v.46…

English Standard Version Chapter 25

v. 46 “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

God put this series on our heart last year...

God knew we would be in times like these…

War’s and rumors of war’s…

He knew, people need hope…

He knew knew people would need to be reminded of the Great Hope we have in Christ.

Remember:

There has always been times like these.

Don’t be alarmed… but be alert

There will be an End to times like these

For those who are in Christ… we will enter into ETERNAL life with Christ and enjoy the New Heavens and New Earth forever.

Here is the bottom line … question for all of us in relation to End Times… it all comes down to this one question

Question: Am I saved?

Does the bible tell a real story about a God how loves humanity… and wants to save and rescue them from the final destruction of sin.

If there is a God…

God do you want to save me?

Because of what scripture say’s I believe the answer is YES he does..

So today… if you do NOT know Jesus as your Lord and Savior today is your day…

Salvation Altar Call

I believe Jesus is here today, and He wants to save you. Salvation simply means to deliver or to free. It’s not just about delivering you…

It’s about believing

Believing in Jesus means trusting what He say’s—about sin, and eternal punishment, thats the bad news.

The good news is this… that His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins, making us right with God.

Ephesians 2:8 reminds us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Salvation requires two things:

1. God’s Grace—His undeserved gift of forgiveness and life because of His love for you.

2. Faith—placing your trust in Him for salvation.

If you’ve never asked Jesus to save you, today is your day. If you’d like ask him… , raise your hand.

I want to invite you to Repeat a prayer after me

· There is nothing magical in this prayer.. it simply is a way of declaring to Jesus what has taken place in your heart.

Here is how I would like to end the service for everyone else….

Call to Action Altar Call

We’re going to end the service with A question as we do nearly every week.

ALL ACROSS THE ROOM – HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT spoken to you in anyway today?

Going Deeper

What stuck out to you the in this passage? 1 Thess. 4:16-18, Dan. 12:1-7

What might the Holy Spirit be saying to you in light of this teaching?

How might the Holy Spirit want to transform you in light of this teaching?

What actions might the Holy Spirit want to take in light of this teaching?

Tongues & Interpretation

1. To STRENGTHEN the Church (1 Cor14:5)

For prophecy is greater than SPEAKING in TONGUES, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be STRENGTHENED.

Believers, God has operated through this gift today to strengthen you today. Let your faith be strengthened and know that God is in control and using supernatural measures to speak to us.

2. Is a SIGN for unbelievers. (1Cor. 14: 21a, 22)

1 Corinthians 14:21–22 (ESV)

In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

22 -  So you see that speaking in tongues is a SIGN, not for believers, but for UNBELIEVERS.

The Bible explains to us God has chosen to use this gift to be a sign for you. A sign for what? It is a sign of his realness for those of you who have been doubting or questioning the existence of God. He wants you to know he is REAL and he wants to bring you spiritual life and health. If you're in here today and you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior... he wants you to know he has gone to great lengths to show you his love today. (Great opportunity for a salvation altar call if it fits).